Loyalty
by Hobbits and Elves
Summary: After The Battle of the Five Armies, Fili and Kili are getting bored with 'kingly duties'. So, convincing Thorin, they go on an Orc patrol and things don't turn out... So well.


Kili jumped in between the Orc blade and his brother with a cry. Fili screamed as he saw blood pour from his wound. Fili stood and with one swift strike, be headed the enemy Orc. Fili cradled Kili's body in his arms until he heard a small gasp. He hurriedly looked down at Kili who looked up at Fili, his gaze clouded. "Put me down, you big oaf!" He managed to say and coughed, the one feeble cough exploding into a fit. Each cough wracked his delicate body, paining Kili. His wound had stopped bleeding and Fili wrapped him in his coat. Then, he ran from the field which was stained with the dark blood of Orcs. And the bright red of Kili. Fili went over the events of the day as he ran senselessly, wondering what had caused this.  
Fili and Kili had been on patrol. After the Battle of the Five Armies, they had to scout for Orcs and other creatures. They had begged to go, hating just watching Thorin doing his annoying kingly duties.  
"You are the heirs, you must learn some responsibility and your duties!" Thorin had boomed the first time they had asked.  
"I feel like a useless toy that a child took one glance at then threw away!" Kili exclaimed.  
"All I do is gather dust!" Fili cried, flinging his arms out. Then they adopted the 'Kili look'. That meant they widened their eyes and pouted. Thorin grunted before muttering, "Fine..."  
"Yes! THANK YOU UNCLE THORIN!" Fili and Kili shouted in unison and swept their uncle into a bone crushing hug.  
On the patrol they had found Orcs and the result was a battle. They had lost the rest of the patrol and were utterly lost.

••Later that day••

Fili gave the killing blow to stage deer's skull with a jagged rock. The deer stopped kicking and laid there, dead and still. Fili grabbed the deer and hauled it back to the small campsite he'd made. He was glad he'd been bored to death by Oin all the time, since he learned he had actually gotten stuff down. He had been able to make sure none if Kili's wounds would suffer infection. They were bandaged with remnants of a bit of Kili and Fili's clothing. Fili sat down and began preparing the deer so he could actually cook it in a fire he'd make. As he worked he heard a gasp from behind him and whirled to see Kili, propped up on his elbows on his back.

"What happened?" Kili questioned and yelped as he moved too quickly.

"Ssshhh, it's okay Kee." Fili soothed his brother and went back to cooking. Fili had earlier gotten Kili some water. He had spent about two hours carving a bowl out of a wood slab. Kili noticed it and drank, until he could drink no more. After a half an hour, Fili handed him food. Kili ate it and they had started becoming merry and were in rather good spirits, despite them still being in danger.

There came a howl, and three dozen Orcs, all riding on Wargs, burst out of the ferns. One automatically leapt at Kili, biting at his side and shaking him senseless. Kili cried out in pain, feeling on the verge of tears and consciousness. Fili was filled with such rage and anger, that he stuck one of his best knives hilt deep in the Warg's head. Then he started killing off each Warg and Orc. Kili helped of course, but it wasn't much since he was injured. After all three dozen were killed, they heard more howls. Then, they ran.

Fili and Kili ran through the forest, panting and occasionally wiping the sweat from their brows. As Kili's side started to burn with such ferocity that he stopped and cried out in pain, Fili was worried. Worried that they might die, the two young heirs of Durin. Would die being hunted by Wargs and Orcs which they best down senselessly when the time came. Fili was always the older and more responsible brother. Seeing Kili in pain, put Fili in pain and he felt a flow of tears, wanting to escape. But he tried to maintain himself and grab his little brother's hand. Kili stumbled along, the world slipping away from reality slowly. It seemed grey and dull and Kili stopped. "Kili! We have to keep going! They won't stop until they've got our heads!" Fili cried out in worry and fear. Kili, due to his exhaustion and unbearable pain, collapsed. Fili cringed at the sight of his little brother, blood in many places, bleeding into the green grass. Fili hauled him over his shoulder line a sack of potatoes and ran. He felt blessed he hadn't been hurt to bad and could actually run. Kili on the other hand had been hewed by Orcs over and over. Fili had slaughtered every one that had dared to lay a finger on his precious little brother. As Fili ran, a little ahead he saw dwarves. They were debating on heading back or not due to the fact that there had been do many Orcs around. Fili felt a rush of adrenaline and burst forth, making sure not to damage Kili. "Help!" He cried, sprinting to them and waving his free arm in the air. "Orcs..! Hunting us... Down! Kili hurt... Very bad!" Fili gasped as he tried to regain his breath. One of the Dwarves commanded another Dwarf who gave Fili a pony. "Get back and alert everyone!" The Dwarf said gruffly. Fili nodded, took some rope from a Dwarf's bag and got to work. After getting on the pony and tying Kili down, Fili set off hurriedly. _"What would_ _become of Kili?"_ Fili thought. Many different thoughts raced through his battered head and as he rode with Kili, he saw Erebor coming into sight. And of course, he saw the one person that he was sure would bite their head's off. _"Oh no..."_ Fili thought.


End file.
